A Day of Breath - Darby Cox

She has guarded her kingdom at the edge of the world for ten years. Now she has one day left to save it. Oly is Niawa's longest-serving Champion-a warrior bound to the Edge, where demons claw their way through a rift between realms. Gifted with supernatural strength and cursed with eternal vigilance, she has stood alone against the darkness while her kingdom slept safely behind her. But her power is failing. With the rift growing restless and her strength draining away, Oly faces a terrifying truth: when the demons return, she may no longer be strong enough to stop them. Her only hope lies in the Day of Breath-the single sacred day each year when the rift is sealed. For the first time in a decade, Oly leaves her post to beg for her power to be renewed. She never expects the impossible to happen. On the one day demons should be powerless, a new horror spreads through Niawa-parasitic creatures moving through streets, homes, and temples. As panic grips the kingdom and her strength continues to fade, Oly must uncover how the breach occurred and stop the carnage before midnight. If she fails, the rift will awaken again-and there will be no Champion left to stand against it. Dark, relentless, and emotionally charged, A Day of Breath is a gripping fantasy of sacrifice, duty, and survival, where a single woman must decide how much of herself she's willing to give to save the world she's already bled for. Perfect for readers who love the rich worldbuilding of Naomi Novik and the moral intensity of N.K. Jemisin, this is a story about power slipping away-and the courage it takes to fight anywayFILE UNDER: A Torn Sky | Growing Pains | Duty is Given | Follow the Leader |